This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Foreign Policy

  • Damning With Faint Praise… Or Something?

    While not exactly new or directly probative it does offer some perspective.

    We are parasites:

    Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States Monday of living beyond its means “like a parasite” on the global economy and said dollar dominance was a threat to the financial markets.

    I’ve read this bit several times today.

    The kicker? The dance in DC pleases him:

    The deal initially soothed anxieties and led Russian stocks to jump to three-month highs, but jitters remained over the possibility of a credit downgrade.

    “Thank god,” Putin said, “that they had enough common sense and responsibility to make a balanced decision.”

    Putin thanks God.

    I feel much better now.

     

  • China complains that US is spending too much on military

    The Associated Press reports that Chen Bingd, Chinese chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army, told Admiral Mullen, his opposite number in the US that for the sake of the US taxpayers, the US should cut military spending;

    “I know the U.S. is still recovering from the financial crisis,” Chen said. “Under such circumstances, it is still spending a lot of money on its military and isn’t that placing too much pressure on the taxpayers?”

    “If the U.S. could reduce its military spending a bit and spend more on improving the livelihood of the American people … wouldn’t that be a better scenario?” he said.

    It sounds a little bit like he’s running for office in a certain district in California doesn’t it? I wonder if the fact that their own policy is echoed by our most dangerous enemy will have any effect on defense cut proposals coming from Congress.

    China’s military budget of $95 billion this year is the world’s second-highest after Washington’s planned $650 billion in defense spending.

    Chen said China remains more than two decades behind the U.S. in terms of military technology and Beijing still needs to upgrade by adding new hardware such as aircraft carriers.

    Well, if Congress wants to afford China an opportunity to catch up, they’re on the right track.

  • Obama Administration cozying up to Muslim Brotherhood

    ROS sends a link from Reuters in which Hillary Clinton admits that this administration has “closer contacts” with the muslim Brotherhood in Egypt;

    “We believe, given the changing political landscape in Egypt, that it is in the interests of the United States to engage with all parties that are peaceful, and committed to non-violence, that intend to compete for the parliament and the presidency,” Clinton told reporters at a news conference.

    “Now in any of those contacts, prior or future, we will continue to emphasize the importance of and support for democratic principles and especially a commitment to non-violence, respect for minority rights, and the full inclusion of women in any democracy,” she added.

    Clinton would not say whether the Obama administration had already begun such contacts or at what level it planned to deal with the group.

    On Wednesday, a senior U.S. official disclosed the decision to Reuters, saying that where U.S. diplomats previously dealt only with group members in their role as parliamentarians, a policy he said had been in place since 2006, they will now deal directly with Brotherhood officials.

    The Muslim Brotherhood in the US was discovered during the trial of the Holy Land Foundation trial to have as it’s credo, the destruction of Western civilization from within and the victory of Islam over other religions. Their founding credo since it’s inception in 1928 has been; “God is our objective; the Quran is our constitution, the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of God is the highest of our aspirations.”

    ADDED: A more coherent take from The Sniper.

  • Hippie dirtbag appears in Syria

    NotSoOldMarine sends a link to the story that hippie shitbag, Dennis Kucinich magically appeared in Syria and praised murderous tyrant Bashar al-Assad saying that Assad is “highly loved and appreciated by the Syrians.” Well, maybe the ones who are still alive and not clinging to life in a hospital somewhere.

    But the Ohio Democrat released a statement Tuesday saying he was misquoted by Syrian media.

    Well, no shit, Sherlock, just by being there you give the thug propaganda material.

    Syrian state media quoted Kucinich as saying during the press conference, “President Bashar al-Assad cares so much about what is taking place in Syria, which is evident in his effort towards a new Syria and everybody who meets him can be certain of this.”

    Kucinich isn’t saying who paid for his trip, but I think we all know, don’t we?

    However, the Ohio Congressman did not rush to blame Syrian state-run media, saying in the same statement that the mistranslations were “unfortunate [but] … not a willful intent to mischaracterize my statements or my efforts in the region.”

    Some have pushed back on Kucinich’s explanation for the quotations. Foreign Policy writer David Kenner notes that Kucinich does not speak Arabic, and that since the original Syrian news article was in English, no translation would have been necessary.

    Fuckstick moron.

  • The Hypocrisy of Rethink Afghanistan in regards to the Officer Corp.

    In the past two years Rethink Afghanistan has been actively seeming to go after any General that seeks to combat the Taliban and al qaeda in Afghanistan. They have called for the firing of General McChrystal for complaining about not getting the support that was requested.

    McChrystal should have been fired for any number of reasons: his disrespect for the civilian leadership of the U.S., his working of the media to limit President Obama’s political space to adopt strategies in Afghanistan that didn’t include major troop surges, for his role in the Pat Tillman cover-up, etc.

    Remember that part because they sure do not remember it. Enter a nameless Colonel that does the exact same thing, except that the Officer sent in a letter directly to the Media. But surely that such a act would have the same reaction from Rethink Afghanistan by such comments. Right?

    TIME Magazine’s Battleland blog features an email from an active duty colonel ripping the war wonks at D.C. insider think tanks for pushing more militarism as the answer in Afghanistan. For those that aren’t familiar: there’s a whole cottage industry of think tanks and non-profits pushing for more war, often funded by those with deep ties to the war industry.

    Yea I am sure that they are more then willing keep this mystery Officer nameless considering how the last Officer that was used to attempt to get another General fired turned out to be a bust. But that has not stopped them from going after General Petraeus.

    The once-seemingly untouchable General David Petraeus is seeing his brainchild roundly rejected in Afghanistan. Counterinsurgency, the doctrine pushed by Petraeus and his protege, General Stanley McChrystal, as the “new” strategy for Afghanistan, has suddenly become the target of fierce criticism within the administration and without. And it’s about time, too: thanks to this failed strategy, U.S. taxpayers are being charged $2 billion a week for a war that’s not making us safer.

    Yea and we are the ones that are being accused of yellow journalism.

  • Right on Cue

    As soon as I read Jonn’s post about the draw down I knew that Rethink Afghanistan would not pass on it.

    NOT GOOD ENOUGH: President to announce withdrawal of fewer than 10 percent of troops from Afghanistan this year. According to various news reports, President Obama plans to withdraw fewer than 10 percent of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year, despite promises to make this drawdown “significant.”

    So I figured that I would hear something about concern about the troops or the families of those deployed. But what do they open up with?

    Under this plan, the U.S. would continue to charge taxpayers roughly $2 billion per week for this war for years. That’s unacceptable.

    So that is what it comes down to, money. The same theme that it has always been. It cost too much and that all our woes are the results of the conflicts abroad despite evidence suggesting otherwise. But lets move on.

    This war isn’t making us safer, and it’s not worth the human or economic costs.

    Even when they try to sound sympathetic those that are affected in Afghanistan or even Iraq it still comes back to money. The reason why I think that the first two statements are token is because it is the exact same phrase over and over like a planned script. Then they expect people to believe this is real concern since they are more then happy to speak for the fallen who have died since the SEAL mission. Really I mean do you know the views of each and everyone on that list? But hey why need to know that when using them in your articles. I know that if something happened to me and you used my name like that I would be pissed. But don’t worry because you mentioned the “Human Cost” totally means that you “care”.

    Facing a war-weary public, President Barack Obama is expected to call for a major withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan Wednesday night, with roughly 10,000 coming home to the U.S. in less than a year.

    Yea, were are so “War Wary” as a population that the we are shunning anything to do with War in our daily lives. Oh wait were not? Or those tough rationing and products restrictions, oh wait not that ether. Or it must be having to deal with being called up at any time to got to war. No, not that too. So exactly what is the reason that entire country outside the military community is affected? Really I mean how is the conflicts have drastically changed the daily lives of the general community of this country? I can wait.

    We need those troops and those dollars home, now.

    Like is said, all about the money.

    Oh Rethink Afghastan still thinks that those in Command who question or complain about the President should be fired. Unless that they agree with your own view point.

  • Strange Bedfellows?

    Senators move to authorize Libya mission

    Sen. John F. Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, who is Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, who is the ranking GOP member on the Senate Armed Services Committee — and, coincidentally, the last two losing presidential nominees — are co-sponsoring the resolution, which would grant Mr. Obama “limited” authorization to continue using force.

    A curious development, to be sure. The House seems to be  moving, however slowly, to cut off funds for the non-hostilities in Libya while at the same time these two are attempting an end run.

    I don’t understand the reasoning behind this move at all.

    “This is not a blank check for the president. This resolution authorizes the limited use of American forces in a supporting role,” Mr. Kerry said in a floor speech to the Senate. “It says specifically that the Senate does not support the use of ground troops in Libya. And it authorizes this limited use of American forces for a limited duration — it would expire in a year.”

    The White House has rather pointedly gone to great lengths to avoid even dealing with Congress and now this?

    The White House has not actually sought congressional approval but repeatedly has said it would “welcome” it if Congress acted, and has pointed to Mr. Kerry’s resolution as a good step.

    Sure! “I don’t much care what you think, but if you want to agree with me that’s a good step.” The Great Unwashed will never understand anyway.

  • Europe to US: Please don’t kill the poor little mistreated terrorist

    The Miami Herald reports that the European Parliament has requested that the US government not seek the death penalty in their case against Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, the mastermind of the bombing of the USS Cole which killed 17 sailors and injured 39 others nearly 11 years ago.

    “Mr. al-Nashiri’s case is especially sensitive in Europe, since he alleges that for several months in 2002 and 2003 he was tortured and held in secret CIA detention in Poland, and that during his four years in CIA custody before being transferred to Guantanamo, he was tortured by various means including waterboarding,” the parliament said in a statement announcing its approval of the resolution.

    Oh, big fuckin’ whaaa! Is it any wonder that the Europeans are being bullied with some success by Islamists? al-Nashiri will be found guilty of 17 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder, but because we made him take a bath and wash his grungy face in a secret prison, we should let him live.